He became a favourite of Class 10 students when he made their board exams optional. Now, Education Minister Kapil Sibal has very good news for Class 12 students.

By 2013, Sibal hopes to have one common entrance exam for college for Science and Math students. Currently, in addition to their board exams, Class 12 students have to give multiple entrance exams for Engineering and Medical colleges.

"Efforts will be put to hold an All-India national test in Science and commerce from 2013. This will smoothen the admission process into Engineering, Medical, Economics and Commerce courses," Sibal said, addressing a meeting of the Council of School Board of Education in Delhi.

In preparation for the common entrance exam, Sibal plans to introduce a common syllabus in all schools for Science and Math in Class 11 and 12.

"There is 90 per cent census among the school boards on the core-curriculum prepared on science and mathematics," Sibal said.

Sibal said a common core curriculum is also being developed for the Commerce stream.  A common syllabus for the Humanities stream is a bit more complicated, he added because states have different preferences for what to teach in History and Geography.